GOING WHERE - and WHEN?

Exploring this Summer - near Prague!

I've been quiet for a while - but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy! The thing is, expeditions take a while to organise - even if, like me, you rely not on seeking money and equipment from sponsors but on travelling with, and learning from, indigenous people.

So, this year I've been gathering myself for a certain expedition, which I promise I'll tell you about soon. There's an additional problem: that I have to travel at times that suit the place I'm heading to - and in this case, that means thinking about Rainy Seasons. It's not that I'm afraid of getting wet, you understand - more rain, at least upstream, means waterways are wider and deeper, and if travelling by river this can be a serious advantage. But there's a greater risk of malaria - and access to the forest itself may not be so easy if it's flooded.

I also very much want to return to northern-most Mongolia, there to seek out a friend of mine called Gana. One dark night about five years ago, seated in his 'teepee'-like tent of reindeer skin, he sang a long and haunting song to me, about the value of friendship. As you might imagine, this was incredibly moving. Then, quite suddenly, he fell silent.

'Don't stop!' I said. 'That was beautiful!'

Gana said, 'I've sung half my song to you. And when you return to me, Benedict, I shall continue that song....'

How could I not return to Gana to hear the remainder of his song?!

This expedition too I shall undertake when I can - but again, the timing has to be right. Soon, temperatures will dip to minus thirty or forty, and even the reindeer herders, hardy though they are, don't trek far in winter - the period often referred to in Mongolia as Killing Weather. Nor can I go in April or May, because the ground is melting, and you can soon find yourself bogged down.

So, these and other factors have to be thought through. Nonetheless, I hope to share more very soon about my main expedition - snows, rains, and heat regardless.

Meanwhile, two things:

First, here is a picture of Gana's little sister, Uugantsetseg ('Little Flower') from my first visit, back in 1997. She now has a little child herself, and I want to see how she, as well as big brother Gana, is doing.

Braving it at seriously sub-zero temperatures: the tears just visible on Uugantsetseg's cheeks were, I noticed as I took this photo, freezing solid.

Secondly, I will be appearing shortly at the RGS at an exciting event to discuss and celebrate the importance of photography in exploration - at 3:30 pm on Friday September 26th, along with marine explorer Ollie Steeds and top photographer Martin Hartley.

Across three days, 26th-28th September, world-renowned photographers, explorers - including me! - and policy experts will come together to discuss how photography can address the environmental and humanitarian challenges we face today.

They'll be discussions, exhibitions and more to enjoy. Do come up and say hello!

Book your tickets HERE ( www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/summit-photo-2025 )